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Chapter 30
Last Updated:
2024-12-10 17:31:39
Adam CarlosHey, dear reader! Thank you for reaching the 30th chapter of Gold & Sand. If you're enjoying the story so far, please leave a like and a gem if possible. Oh! And tell me... between Matthew and Masahiro, who is your favourite? Hugs!
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Gold & Sand Chapter 31
The masked man leaned back in his chair, his gloved fingers steepling as he spoke. “So, gentlemen, are you going to demonstrate or not?”Masahiro's instinct was to retreat, but Matthew, ever the one to take the reins in situations like this, smiled warmly, leaning slightly toward the camera. "Look," he said, feigning nonchalance. “My boyfriend here isn’t even hard, and we ain’t too interested in exhibitionism…”The masked man tilted his head, almost playfully. "If you can't do this in front of me, how do you expect to handle what happens at the Full Moon Party? Do you understand the kind of scrutiny you’ll be under? This is child’s play compared to what’s coming.”Matthew leaned back, his demeanor shifting ever so slightly. He turned to Masahiro, his voice dropping into a softer, almost intimate tone. “Honey… are there any condoms left?”Masahiro shot him a sharp look, his eyebrow arching in confusion. He opened his mouth to protest, but the faint glimmer in Matthew’s blue eyes stoppe
Last Updated : 2024-12-11Gold & Sand Chapter 32
Masahiro stood near the wall, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his eyes fastened to a certain place opposite the room. Matthew sat at the table, sprawled, one leg jittery with restless energy, glancing at the clock every few seconds.It had been over a month since they'd plunged into the dark web, constructing aliases and worming their way into the Spiced Cherry's hidden network. The mission was supposed to be cut-and-dried: gather intel and dismantle the operation. Instead, Masahiro felt like he was drowning.He glanced at Matthew… too relaxed. That night kept replaying in Masahiro's head, unbidden and unwanted. The act itself had been mechanical, yet it left a film of disgust Masahiro couldn't scrub away no matter how many times he tried.“Alright, everyone,” Ethan’s voice broke through the heavy silence. He stood at the head of the table, radiating the kind of excitement Masahiro couldn’t bring himself to share. “I’ve got news. We’ve secured access to the Spiced Cherry’s fu
Last Updated : 2024-12-11Gold & Sand Chapter 33
The world went dark as Masahiro and Matthew slipped their blindfolds on, the cool fabric pressing against their skin, cutting them off from the outside world. The low hum of an engine filled the silence as masked men in black suits led them into separate cars. The heavy thrum of the vehicles’ engines was a dull reminder of their impending destination, and the unease settled in their stomachs, both of them instinctively aware that they were stepping into a world beyond their control.The drive felt like an eternity, the endless twists and turns heightening the tension. Masahiro’s mind raced through every possibility. What awaited them? Were they walking into a trap, or was this merely part of the game they were forced to play? Adrenaline pumped through his veins, the knot in his stomach only growing tighter.Finally, the cars came to a stop. The low growl of the engines silenced, and they were instructed to step out. Masahiro could feel his pulse pounding in his ears as he was guided t
Last Updated : 2024-12-12Gold & Sand Chapter 34
Masahiro and Matthew stepped further into the heart of the Spiced Cherry, each absorbed by the overwhelming sights and sounds. The dim lighting, velvet curtains, and the constant hum of decadent conversations felt as though they were being swallowed by the very air itself.They began in the Standard Areas, which, though opulent, felt slightly off. The Main Hall was vast, with towering chandeliers casting flickering shadows over the swirls of color and movement. A haze of expensive perfumes and narcotics clung to the air. The mingling guests, adorned in extravagant costumes and masks, flirted with carefree abandon, the mood light but fraught with an underlying tension.“Looks like a playground for the rich and bored,” Matthew remarked, his eyes scanning the scene.Masahiro nodded, his gaze lingering on the faces of the guests… everything seemed so superficial, so performative. The laughter and flirtations didn’t quite reach their eyes. It was as though they were
Last Updated : 2024-12-12Gold & Sand Chapter 35
Masahiro and Matthew took their seats alongside the team. Ethan was sitting hunched over his laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard. Evelyn, glanced at David, both waiting for the briefing to start, meanwhile Hawthorne leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her expression serious."Alright, let's get down to business," Masahiro said after clearing his throat. "What we found at the Spiced Cherry confirms it: they're hosting a carnival in few days. Tickets are 50 grand each."Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "A carnival? Really? That's their big plan?"Matthew snorted, falling back in his chair. "You'd be surprised what kind of 'entertainment' draws in the crowd. But yeah, it's real."Ethan added, eyes stuck on the screen, "I dug on the dark web. The Eclipse Carnival is real. They are limiting the tickets sold to only a few spots. We have only two days left to buy the tickets."Ms. Hawthorne pushed off the wall, intrigued. "What's the date of the eclips
Last Updated : 2024-12-13Gold & Sand Chapter 36
Masahiro moved noiselessly, his black shoes making no sound on the polished floor. He checked each stall methodically, pushing open the doors one by one. Empty.Satisfied, he stepped back to the entrance, pressing his back against the cold metal door to keep it secure. His hand moved to his watch, tapping a discreet button to activate the communicator. A faint buzz confirmed the connection.“Team, this is Payne,” he said in a low, controlled tone, his voice steady despite the adrenaline pumping through him. “We’re inside. No sign of Mr. K, but we’ve confirmed Rocco is here.”There was a beat of silence before David’s voice crackled over the line. “Rocco?”"Yes," Masahiro confirmed, his tone clipped. "Looks like he's the one running the show tonight. No sign of Mr. K at this time."A sharp exhale came through the line, followed by a muttered curse. "Damn it." David's voice steadied as he ad
Last Updated : 2024-12-13Gold & Sand Chapter 37
Hours later, Masahiro slowly regained consciousness. The beeping of machines and the dim light filtering through the drawn curtains pulled him from the depths of sleep. As his eyes adjusted, he caught sight of Matthew slumped in a chair beside his bed, his blond hair tousled and tattooed arms heavy on the table.The sight brought a wave of irritation mingled with relief. They were in this together, whether they liked it or not. Masahiro shifted slightly, the movement causing a sharp sting in his side.Matthew stirred, blinking rapidly as he focused on Masahiro. Relief washed over his features. “You’re awake! Thank God,” he said, standing up and moving closer to the bed.Masahiro's eyes flickered over him, and something silent, some understanding, passed between them. The air was thick, charged with emotion neither wanted to acknowledge. Matthew, for once, was visibly relieved."What happened?" Masahiro asked, trying to piece together the
Last Updated : 2024-12-14Gold & Sand Chapter 38
The sterile smell of the hospital mingled with the comforting aroma of home-cooked food as Matthew stepped into Masahiro's hospital room, balancing a tray laden with lunch. He had gone to the trouble of preparing something decent at home, determined to take care of his reluctant partner. Dull and insipid options from the cafeteria, Matthew had hoped the meal he'd lovingly cooked would lift Masahiro's spirits."Hey, I brought you lunch," Matthew said as he set the tray on a small table beside Masahiro's bed. He beamed with pride at his handiwork: the plate set out in fine fashion, grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, rice.Masahiro turned away, and there was cynicism written into his eyes. "I'm not eating that.""Come on, it's good for you," Matthew implored, crossing his arms, "you need to gain your strength.”"I said no." Masahiro's voice was firm, but the defiance didn't quite rule out curiosity. "You could have poisoned it."Matthew raised
Last Updated : 2024-12-14
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The couch wasn’t new to this.It creaked like it recognized the weight—Clark’s spine pressed to the cushions, Adam’s knee between his legs, files forgotten beneath them like collateral damage.Clark didn’t gasp.He groaned.“Tch—Adam.” Half-warned, half-melted. “I just organized those.”Adam didn’t give a damn.“Then you should’ve organized your schedule better, counselor.”He said it at Clark’s throat, teeth barely grazing the skin just beneath his jaw. The kind of contact that wasn’t meant to hurt—but to remind.Clark exhaled through his nose. Calm. Infuriating.“You are dangerously obsessed with making me moan over prosecutorial misconduct.”“That’s ‘cause you sound better screamin’ than lecturin’.”Clark chuckled darkly—head thudding back into the cushion. He pushed his glasses up with two fingers, then slid them off entirely and dropped them onto the table.“You’re so fucking predictable.”Adam smirked. “And you’re so fuckin’
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The crowd around the grave began to thin.Some officers lingered. Others drifted toward their cars in small clusters, the quiet murmur of uniforms brushing against one another, badges catching the sun one last time before vanishing into the afternoon.Masahiro and Matthew stepped forward.The woman stood at the edge of the burial, veil now lifted, her eyes rimmed red but dry. She looked like someone who had cried enough before the funeral ever started.Masahiro approached her first.“Mrs. Doyle,” he said gently, dipping his head. “I’m… I’m sorry for your loss.”Her expression didn’t shift much. But her voice was calm. “Thank you.”There was a steadiness in her grief—one born from surviving years beside a man who chased death for a living.Masahiro gave a small nod, then turned toward the young man standing just beside her.Doyle’s son.Closer now, Masahiro could see the resemblance. The jawline. The way his eyes watched everything. Guarded, te
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It had been five days since Allan Doyle’s body was found behind Barrow Lane.Five days since the call. Since the silence that followed it. Since Masahiro had driven into the night with blood in his chest and Matthew’s voice at his back.Now, the sun was too bright for a funeral, but they buried him anyway.The car rolled to a stop at the edge of the cemetery.Beyond the windshield, the canary was crowded—rows of law enforcement officers in black, lined up in silent formation. Uniforms everywhere: pressed blues, starched grays, polished medals that caught the morning light. Detectives in tailored coats stood among beat cops and field agents. The air was stiff with order and unsaid things.Canopies had been set up above the grave site, a futile attempt to shield the mourners from the pale spring sun. The wind tugged at coat hems and tugged hair loose from buns and slicked styles. But no one moved. No one left.Masahiro turned off the engine.They sat for a
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It was midnight.Matthew’s face was buried against Masahiro’s chest, his breath warm and steady, rising and falling like waves breaking against stone. The bedroom was cloaked in dim gold—just the faintest light slipping through the cracked door, catching on the curve of Masahiro’s bare shoulder.Masahiro lay still, one hand in Matthew’s curls, the other resting against his side. He hadn’t slept.Not really.The weight of six weeks hadn’t left his chest since he’d closed his eyes.Then the phone rang.A sharp vibration on the nightstand. No ringtone—Masahiro never let it ring. Just the buzzing thrum of urgency in the dark.He reached without waking Matthew, answering in one fluid motion.“Payne.”The voice on the other end was clipped. Low. Shaken.“Sir… it’s Doyle. Allan Doyle. He’s dead.”Masahiro didn’t breathe.His hand froze mid-motion. The ceiling above him went quiet.The voice continued. “They found his body in the alley behind Barrow Lane. Gunshot. Close range. No witnesses.”
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The car rolled to a stop in front of Arthur’s building. The street was dim, washed in the orange flicker of old lamps. Arthur hesitated for a second before unbuckling. “Thanks for the ride,” he said quietly, eyes a little too wide, hands still trembling from the night. Masahiro nodded once. “Goodnight, Cooper.” Matthew gave him a small wave from the passenger seat. “Text Masa if anything weird happens, yeah?” Arthur nodded and got out, closing the door softly. He walked up to the building, pulled his keys from his pocket, and glanced back just once. They waited. Arthur opened the gate, disappeared inside, and only when the door shut behind him with a faint click, did Masahiro start the engine again. Silence. It stretched for blocks. Then Matthew let out a sigh, dragging a hand through his hair. “This whole thing’s a mess.” Masahiro didn’t respond immediately. He kept his eyes on the road, jaw tight. Matthew kept going. “Six people. And somehow we’re all tangled up
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The lock hissed. The panic room door creaked open.What greeted them wasn’t relief. It was aftermath.A wash of chemical air hit first—smoke and industrial sanitizer, sharp and sterile. Lights flickered overhead, the hallway still recovering from whatever scramble had unfolded outside.Armed officers lined the corridor, weapons lowered but eyes tracking every movement. No one moved until Masahiro stepped out first, calm as a blade.Cassidy followed, still cuffed, but upright. Arthur stayed tucked at his side, blinking against the hallway light like he’d forgotten what outside air tasted like.Behind them, Clark adjusted his tie. Adam stepped beside him, hand loose on Clark’s back without thinking. Matthew emerged next, yawning. He still looked smug.At the far end, a prosecutor and a city official waited. Legal cleanup."We’ll need statements," the official said.Masahiro didn’t even pause. "Not now."The man sputtered, but Masahiro was already wa
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The panic room had gone quiet.The gas had settled. The lock was still sealed. But for the first time in an hour, no one was yelling, bleeding, or threatening to kill someone over sarcasm.Clark sat near the far wall, his head resting on Adam’s shoulder, tie loosened, wrist still trembling.Adam didn’t say anything.Just held a water bottle in one hand, and Clark in the other.He glanced down. “Drink.”Clark sighed, voice hoarse. “You’ve said that three times.”Adam pressed the bottle into his hand. “And I’ll say it a fourth.”Clark took it. “You’re very annoying.”Adam’s smirk was faint. “You like annoying.”Clark: “I like expensive wine and emotional distance.”Adam: “And still end up in my bed. Funny how that works.”Across the room, Cassidy had planted himself against the wall, legs stretched out, one arm wrapped around Arthur, who was tucked against his chest. Arthur hadn’t spoken in ten minutes.Cassidy ran a hand through Art
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The courtroom was colder than usual.Not from temperature. From tension.Cassidy sat at the defense table, cuffed but unmoved. Clean suit. Straight spine. His eyes drifted, slow and knowing, over the faces present—not the jury, not the prosecution. The others.Arthur was in the gallery, near the back, shoulders squared but not at ease. He hadn’t looked at Cassidy since entering. But he hadn’t looked away, either.Clark stood at the defense bench, immaculate in gray. Composed. Watching. Reading the room like a surgeon reads skin.Adam leaned against the wall at the rear of the courtroom, arms crossed, one boot tapped into the tile like a metronome of violence barely restrained. He clocked everything. Every whisper. Every eye shift.Matthew sat beside him, chewing gum he wasn't supposed to have, scrolling his phone without looking. But his free hand rested near Adam’s, just enough to ground him.Masahiro sat two rows ahead of Arthur. Silent. Controlled. The
Gold & Sand Chapter 286
Arthur returned to the precinct in silence.His boots clicked over tile, shoulders tighter than when he’d left. He hesitated at the office door.Masahiro was stiil inside. Alone. Leaning against the edge of the desk, arms crossed, unreadable.Arthur opened the door anyway.He didn’t speak. Just shut it behind him.Masahiro watched him for a moment.“You left without a word.”“I know.”Masahiro’s tone didn’t rise. “During work hours.”Arthur nodded.Masahiro tilted his head. “Wanna tell me where you went?”Arthur didn’t flinch. “To see Cassidy.”A pause. Not surprise—just confirmation.Masahiro’s voice was calm. “What did you go there to do?”Arthur swallowed once. “I asked him not to retaliate.”Masahiro blinked slowly. “That’s what you think your job is now?”“I asked him to wait,” Arthur said. “To give us a chance to fix this through the system. I told him I’d do everything I could… by the law.”Masahiro looked at him for a long beat. Then pushed off the desk and walked toward the
